An estimated 87,000 people attended a rally organized by talk-radio host and Fox News commentator Glenn Beck Saturday in Washington, according to a crowd estimate commissioned by CBS News.

The company AirPhotosLive.com based the attendance on aerial pictures it took over the rally, which stretched from in front of the Lincoln Memorial along the Reflecting Pool to the Washington Monument. Beck and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin spoke at the rally.

Beck, who predicted that at least 100,000 people would show up, opened his comments with a joke: "I have just gotten word from the media that there is over 1,000 people here today."

AirPhotosLive.com gave its estimate a margin of error of 9,000, meaning between 78,000 and 96,000 people attended the rally. The photos used to make the estimate were taken at noon Saturday, which is when the company estimated was the rally's high point.

Rally organizers had a permit for crowd of 300,000. Crowd estimates used to be provided by the National Park Service, but the agency stopped counting crowds in 1997 after being accused of underestimating the size of the Million Man March in 1995.

‘Left my house at 2:45 AM to catch a bus (with uncomfortable seats, arrived on the mall at 12:15, never made it past the WW2 Memorial, stayed only 4 hours but would gladly do it all over again for the experience!This was the most uplifting day I had in a long time and Mr. Beck’s speech was the most inspiring I have heard in decades.

Ah, it was supposed to be, but I remember at one point Beck pausing as the sound of a plane could be heard if not overhead, nearby and he joked about someone being curious enough about the crowd to violate air space or something to that affect

THUS, inquiring minds want to know, IF this org did get permission to overfly, WHO granted said permission and if NOT, who allowed them to do so in spite of the the closed air space?

Okay, taking my tin foil hat off! lol

21
posted on 08/30/2010 11:08:53 AM PDT
by Conservative Vermont Vet
((One of ONLY 37 Conservatives in the People's Republic of Vermont. Socialists and Progressives All))

What I think is funny about this report is the exact number 87,000, as if they could estimate it that closely.

Any reasoned person would provide a ball-park figure, say about “90 thousand” or “between 80 and 100 thousand”.

It’s my take that they provided a number like 87 thousand, because that would make it look like they had really studied the photos and came up with a very accurate number. Fail.

Anyone seeing photos of the crowd would know the 87 thousand figure was a joke. It just made the people making that claim to look nude in public. They are bald faced liars.

CBS is too stupid to know that the game is up, and they are truly being seen for the Democrat shills that they are.

Am I mad. No. CBS is destroying the last shred of credibility it has. Well that may be a little too generous, since they haven’t had any credibility for some time. This is more like taking a whiz on the grave of their own credibility.

We were there and a white, Bell Jet Ranger helicoptor, with blue markings (not News, medical or military - just normal general aviation numbering), made two full laps of the area at two different altitudes (estimate about 1000 & 2000 feet). There were 2 photographers sitting in the open door, filming the crowd. The two passes, at different altitudes, gave them a decent view of the crowd, including thousands under the trees (seeking some shade).

That was when Glenn made the comments about “somebody is interested enough to violate the air space”. Either Glenn’s team got permission or they took the chance - either way, I think it was Glenn’s team that took the pictures and will generate a credible estimate.

26
posted on 08/30/2010 11:23:30 AM PDT
by Tandem
(Restore honor and the other pieces will fall into place.....)

Hey whatever number makes them feel happy they can use. Everyone else knows the truth. Ignoring the truth is part of the Lefty doctrine. They live in an imaginary world of their own. I have a feeling that on November 2nd they will be asking, how could this happen. We never saw this coming!

Hey whatever number makes them feel happy they can use. Everyone else knows the truth. Ignoring the truth is part of the Lefty doctrine. They live in an imaginary world of their own. I have a feeling that on November 2nd they will be asking, how could this happen. We never saw this coming!

Having looked at several photos of the rally in relationship to other known rally, I would think that is a fair guesstimate

In the large scale of things, how petty of the main stream media to on purpose lower the number of people at the event. In the long run nobody is going to care and it will be completely meaningless after the dems are decimated in Nov

35
posted on 08/30/2010 2:22:45 PM PDT
by Popman
(Obama. First Marxist to turn a five year Marxist plan into a 4 year administration.)

Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.